Thursday, June 25, 2009

Here we are towards the end of June and as of a couple of days ago...it's rained 18 out of the 22 days of June according the Channel 10. I think we are now 20 out of the 24 days of June where rain or some sort of water has fallen from the unrelenting gray skies. I'm officially sick of this weather. I noticed my basil is starting to rot in the container and now have fungal issues in the garden. Oh well...if gardening were easy, no one would need The Garden Consultant, right?? Back to discussing happier garden topics like photos and plants. The above photo is one of most favorite places in my yard and it's just to the right of my front door. I had made the mistake of dividing a lot of the hostas about 2 years ago when it looked just like it does now. Boy, was that dumb. I should have left well enough alone because it lost it's wow factor with the lean hostas. Now, it's back to it's lush glory. I don't know why people think they are plagued with shade because I, myself, love a good shade garden. How is that photo up there boring!!! (My friend Jen who reads this is having this very battle with her mom. **wink**)

I have seems to gained a bunch of iris over the past 5 years of being here. I have really learned to appreciate iris because they are so varied and just about any color scheme can benefit from the addition of iris. I have both German Bearded Iris and Siberians...and find the Siberians to be more on the low maintenance side. The Germans do need to be staked which is okay with what I have now...but as they mature and if I get more, that could be a pain in the behind. But...on to iris-mania! Below is Iris sibirica 'Sparkling Rose' (Siberian Iris) and I use this a lot in my designs. It came as a surprise to me with a clump of Siberian Iris 'Butter and Sugar' that a client had given me (you can see the white buds emerging in the back.)

This big clump of Iris sibirica 'Caesar's Brother' (Siberian Iris) is another freebie from a different client. I think it had only 3 leaves on it when I brought it home 4 years ago and look at it now. That basement window is actually my office window and what a view I get looking up at them when I'm at my drafting table. They are starting to die out in the center like Siberians do...so in the next year or two, I'll dig them up and rejuvinate them.

Below are some heirloom irises which I unfortunately don't know the name of from another client. Hmmmmm....I'm seeing a pattern of refugee gardening still happening in my yard.

LOL...now I know I have admitted this to some. But, I have been known to buy plants off of .....**GASP** ebay. Yes, it is true and I think most of the clients I have told don't believe me. Behold, the iris below was an ebay purchase. I have had good luck with ebay sellers because I am careful of who I buy from. However, those are not the colors that I had bought. This iris here is a stow-away and came with the iris I bought. I have no idea what it is and that is not 'Persian Berry" which I did buy. Thank god it works with my colors I love.

This iris below is Persian Berry. I consider my other stow-away iris a complete bonus!

This is the iris relative I have lost my love affair with. I had these yellow flag iris in my gardens for years and they just survived which kind of had me scratching my head. I hadn't known at the time what they truly were and didn't realize they need water. So, after some research last year, I learned they were a water plant. Off I go and potted them up and threw them in Lake Larson. Well, they grew, and grew, and grew....now they are busting out of their pots and going crazy. I didn't acknowledge at the time that they are deemed invasive in MA and CT. Ugh...they are going to get thinned and become residents of the compost bin. I may actually toss all of them because I really don't like them any more. At. All. Pretty, yes....too big for their britches, totally.

My last blurb in this post is something I think is of great importance. In RI, there is a wonderful organization called The Children's Garden Network (CGN) and their mission is to have a garden in every RI school by the year 2010. It sounds like quite an undertaking and it has been. I believe they are very close in acomplishing this. Myself and the executive board of the Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association have met with CGN and are looking forward to working very closely together to bring horticulture to young people. Kids today are losing their connection with nature and CGN is showing kids who may not have the opportunity to see flowers grow or learn where vegetables come from. If you are interested in learning more about CGN or if they are at your children's school but would like to help out, please check out their website - The Children's Garden Network. They are always looking for people to volunteer with them with helping develop and maintain gardens with the kids. I know from my traffic tracker I get visitors from far flung places too...if you are interested in starting up something like this in your area, please contact CGN because they are the flagship organiztion for this subject and they will help others start up networks all over the world.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Friday, June 19, 2009

Once again, as spring comes and I vanish almost like clockwork. I am happy to report that this spring and early summer has been a good one despite the economic climate. I have been busier than I had been in a season and that is truly a wonderful thing. I think the one thing on the green industry of RI's mind is this weather! Luckily, I haven't been too impacted by the never ending rains unlike a lot of my friends who install and maintain landscapes. One of my colleagues who in the turf industry told me this morning since April 1st, we've had only 13 days where the sun has made an appearance for more than 5 hours. As we look at another 5 - 6 upcoming days of rain, the bright side is if you have planted things this year, your hose has been on vacation.

Even though I haven't been writing much, I have been taking photos of the gardens every chance I can and I have quite a collection. The rains have definitely made the gardens happy (with the exception of my herbs yellowing in their containers) and lush. Tonight, I'll share some photos of drier and sunnier days from April.

Coralbells!

This is one of my favorite varieties - Plum Pudding. It didn't take them long to break out of their winter blahs to springtime glory.

True Blue - grape hyacinths brighten up an April showery day.

An unknown daffodil I inherited from a client. I love that peach corona.

I misspoke in my last blog posting...that plant peeking out of the ground wasn't scilla. It's Chionodoxa or aka Glory in the Snow. How cute are they??

Last but not least....the survivors of the winter window box! Most of the pansies I had planted last fall in the front window actually made it through the winter which completely floored me. It had been cold and snowy most of the winter. The only thing I can think of is the house and the sun kept the soil warm enough for them to survive.

About Me

I grew up on a farm and come from a long line of horticulturists; I’m the 6th generation. I attended Cornell University in and earned my Bachelor’s of Science in General Plant Sciences with a minor in Ornamental Horticulture. I am currently a member of Greenwimmen, an organization of women horticulturists in based in Southern Rhode Island. I also belong to and am a Past President of the Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association.